What it's like to test drive a Tesla Model S

ADVERTISEMENT

I didn't tell my Tesla co-pilot that I hadn't driven in over two years as I climbed into the driver's seat of the Model S at Mobile World Congress. He seemed nervous enough about the fact that I'd never driven a left-hand-drive car before and that I'd never driven on the right-hand side of the road. The last thing I wanted to do was make him more tense, or even worse, have him suggest I switch over to the passenger side.

Read more

Apple Watch: a travel companion worth the extra baggage

ByKatie Collins

The version of the Model S I drove is the second fastest available and can go from 0-60 in five seconds. As I was mostly driving in Barcelona traffic, I didn't get to test it to its limit, but on the few occasions I put my foot on the pedal, the electrical current that surged through vehicle was mimicked by the prickles of adrenaline that shot through my body, forcing air into my lungs and pushing my heart into the place my mouth usually is. The car slinked between lanes with reptilian agility, but ultimately the Model S doesn't feel like car designed for European city driving, for starting and stopping, for narrow roads and roundabouts.

The Model S was the most popular car in Norway last year, outselling even the perennially popular Volkswagen Golf, and as I enjoyed a brief spell of gliding along the motorway, I could easily imagine how exhilarating and satisfying it would feel to soar the length of the country through the melodramatic Scandinavian landscape in the Tesla. And what's more, to do so guilt free and in style. If I wasn't thoroughly versed in Tesla's Californian heritage, I would presume this slick, safe, environmentally friendly car was purpose-built for the Nordics -- no wonder they're all going crazy for it.

Why was I test-driving one? Tesla has been refreshingly audacious about embracing next-generation connectivity and I was curious. The company is at the forefront of putting the kind of constantly connected, customisable experiences we expect from the rest of our technology into vehicles, and others are starting to follow in its footsteps.

Software updates are pushed out to the car over 3G at least every five weeks, some of which make small adjustments to the driving experience and others that introduce brand new entertainment features. Currently Rdio is built into the Tesla, but the company is also working with Spotify to try and design a suitable interface for its system.

ADVERTISEMENT

The huge touchscreen that stretches the height of the dashboard can be used to control pretty much everything about the car, from the softness of the steering to the acoustics of the cabin. It even has a full web browser. This 17-inch interface is clearly the nucleus of the car, so I was surprised when I asked where I could find the controls to adjust the rear-view mirror: there weren't any. Just use your hands, apparently.

The basic Tesla Model S starts at £50,000. At the moment you can only buy left-hand drive vehicles, even in the UK. Right-hand-drive vehicles are currently being built though and will arrive on our shores in a few months, along with Tesla's recharging stations.